Build Thread Littlemotor’s Tekno NB48 2.2 Build Thread! 😈

[Littlemotor]

I must say-I’m truly SHOCKED at the traffic here as of late.. You guys rock!!!

Ok, ok-lessee what we have next on the itinerary… oh wow-could it be-nooooooo way, that’s so weird!

“I have two guns-one for each of you..”..

A few extra speshul bags…

This one is gonna take a while. These are getting a fair amount of attention, but the pistons, and oils will still be by the book. This is in fact; KILLING ME-as I have a brand new set of fancy-schmancy bypass pistons w/a veritable PLETHORA of different valves from the man himself over at VRP.. KILLING ME, I tell you… -but I said setup, and alignment would be as close to “kit build specs” as possible.. I should really get much more out of any changes I make after getting acclimated with the new chassis, and running everything in this way however..

Spare parts pile..

Now for some “prep work”.. I AM gonna be doing some travel limiters, front & rear-for both compression, and down travel.. I am already confident that I don’t need ALL of the travel this buggy has available. Simply limiting with droop screws is not sufficient IMO.

 

[SoCalTazer]

Kit bearings out, and Avid RC Hybrid bearings in. Throwing a bit of CMD (if you know, you know ) in the outdrive channels. You don’t wanna use o-ring grease here. It’ll cook it, and seize up on ya.

View attachment 213155View attachment 213156

Run of the mill silicone diff oil is more than acceptable for your o-rings, but I’ve been using Team Associated “Green Slime” for decades with success, so I’ll keep doing it. I’ve got tubes for dayyyys, so I’m not wasting any money on it.. The entire goal is just to not tear the o-ring. For the love of god-please don’t be that guy that uses white lithium on your diff o-rings.

View attachment 213157

View attachment 213158

I’m doing VERY close to kit setup (even with the plethora of aftermarket trinkets), as Tekno does a helluva job with getting their vehicles capable right out of the manual setup.. Don’t ever listen to the guys that run Maifield, or Wiggins’ setup.. There’s not an average Joe alive that can drive that close to the ragged edge. Best bet is to build it to kit specs, and make SMALL changes, one at a time, with further testing in between to be able to see how it reacts to you, and you react to it.. Nice to be able to just use the kit fluids in the diffs, and save my good silicones for dialing it in over time to my track conditions, and driving..

View attachment 213159

View attachment 213160

Good habit to be in-mark those diffs… Easy to forget, and easy to mix em up.. Sure you MAY be able to figure it out, but it’s nice not to HAVE TO..

View attachment 213161View attachment 213162View attachment 213163

Diffs are ready to rock.. I change out the kit hardware with my Tony’s Screws stuff as I get to a new bag of parts, and hardware. Whatever I don’t run-wether it’s bearings, screws, nuts, turnbuckles, whatever; gets put aside, and kept up with for spares, or future tuning depending on the part.

View attachment 213164

Yessss ... yesss young Jedi - this is the way ...

 

[SoCalTazer]

Back on it… Some screws I needed in my initial grocery list got by me.. Would’ve grabbed ‘em from Tony’s, but I wanted to grab a pair of JConcepts front scoops, in case I don’t like how the RaceCraft Flock Foil does on the buggy platform.. -and I can match my paintwork with these, like I did on my Associated car..

View attachment 214411

Swapping out SHCS with flat heads, and countersunk washers. They don’t back off, and they don’t destroy my towers, and spindle carriers like SHCS do..

View attachment 214412

Clearly more clamping area, and less likely to mar, or gouge..

View attachment 214413View attachment 214414

Rear camber links finally going in..

View attachment 214415View attachment 214416View attachment 214417

Xray has been doing this for a while as well, but it’s super nice for beginners whom may not have a good pair of calipers.. They are to scale. Build your camber links, and gauge them against the illustration in your manual. This will get you fairly close, and you can always fine-tune chassis setup/vehicle alignment by eye, or on your setup station, if you ball like that..

View attachment 214418

Even Steven..

View attachment 214419

Rear clip wrapped up.

View attachment 214420

Bruhhh - you seriously have Mitutoyo Digi's on your rc bench? effin savage! I love it

 

[Littlemotor]

The new 2.2 kit pistons are molded, and use a different combination of plastics than the previous CNC’d pistons. There’s a sales pitch from Tekno regarding this-but I won’t bore you guys further-this is already gonna be a helluva long session just for shock build, and install.. Besides-I don’t know that I buy what they’re trying to sell.. Not that they’re subpar by any means-but just seems like a pitch to me personally.. If I don’t like em-I’ll buy the old blank pistons that are CNC’d, and drill my own holes. -or give my VRP 20hole bypass units a whirl.. I may anyhow just to see if they’ll control the car on my non-manicured track..

Should be just enough for every o-ring we need to slickify… Looks like a ton-but I’ve done easily hundreds of shock builds at this point lolz.. Look TF out! Hide your women-he builds shocks!!!

 

[Littlemotor]

Bruhhh - you seriously have Mitutoyo Digi's on your rc bench? effin savage! I love it

You know I do killa! I know your asss does too! If not my peasant Mitutoyo’s, I guarantee some Starrett’s! I know how you roll!

 

[WickedFog]

My spidey senses tell me there is more badassery on the way very shortly

Man, those shocks look noice!

And I loved my Starrett stuff. I had one drawer of my toolbox with over $10k of their awesomeness. But I loved my digital Mitu's better than the Starrett's.

 

[Littlemotor]

This is all fairly self explanatory, and by the book-so I’ll let it ride until we arrive at a note worthy photard… Just packing shock seals.. Super excitement..

 

[SoCalTazer]

View attachment 214943

Nix’d the socket head cap screws, and M3 steel flat washers from the kit in favor of Tony’s flatheads, and some killer gloss black countersunk washers from Team Brood. They’re big in the 1/10 carpet stuff.

View attachment 214944

I am the last of a dying breed for sure.. As I mentioned before-I actually like my servo’s, and I still run the servo grommets. These locators are just shy of 2mm tall, and lock your servo in place when not running the grommets. You CAN just put the gorilla grip on your driver, and it’d be fine, but y’all know the dealio.. Let’s take care of this shiit too-why not..

View attachment 214945View attachment 214946

I could use a file here, but I’ve got a steady hand, and I’ve been doing this kind of shiit in my line of work for decades.. Honestly feel like I’ve got a better chance of tearing it up, or leaving terrible marks with a small file than my dremel, and death wheel..

View attachment 214947

Like brand new money..

View attachment 214948

Servo tray, and front chassis brace are Siamese twins. Works killer too. Aluminum braces are for 20yr old designs, and heavy AF RTR’s with ridiculous batteries.

View attachment 214950View attachment 214951View attachment 214952

Yeah maing - waaaay Mo Bettah #supergrom

 

[Littlemotor]

My spidey senses tell me there is more badassery on the way very shortly

Man, those shocks look noice!

And I loved my Starrett stuff. I had one drawer of my toolbox with over $10k of their awesomeness. But I loved my digital Mitu's better than the Starrett's.

I think someone has some possible inside info…

Yessir-I’ve ran everything from Mugen, OLD Losi, Kyosho, Xray, Jammin’, even some crazy high dollar custom one-off shocks from a machinist on TruggyRacers.com back in the day.. @SoCalTazer can vouch for those.. I gotta say the Tekno shocks are some of the best-if not THE best shocks I’ve ever ran, or maintained.. super damned tough too-and if they leak, you are in SERIOUS need of more practice building shocks, as if you follow the absolutely killer manual verbatim, you will have a stellar set of shocks.. Literally ANYone can be successful with these IMO.

It’s definitely not hard to rack up a gajillion dollars in Starrett stuff.. I loved my Starrett’s, as well as my Mitu’s.. I just like high quality tools, and equipment period lol..

 

[SoCalTazer]

This is all fairly self explanatory, and by the book-so I’ll let it ride until we arrive at a note worthy photard… Just packing shock seals.. Super excitement..


View attachment 215612View attachment 215613View attachment 215614View attachment 215615View attachment 215616View attachment 215617View attachment 215618View attachment 215619View attachment 215620View attachment 215621

DOOOOOOOD ... I'm loving those big bore's ... Didnt realize how nice a build those tekno shocks actually were. Gladly trade you 12 Bong Hor 16mm s for a set of them bad boys This build is just sick aF holmes. Good OnYa ... I see some familiar symbolism is a lot of these pics. Impressive. And um ... your AR "retentive'ness" is on a whole nutha level. Keep it #OlSkool fewl. !!!

 

[SoCalTazer]

I think someone has some possible inside info…

Yessir-I’ve ran everything from Mugen, OLD Losi, Kyosho, Xray, Jammin’, even some crazy high dollar custom one-off shocks from a machinist on TruggyRacers.com back in the day.. @SoCalTazer can vouch for those.. I gotta say the Tekno shocks are some of the best-if not THE best shocks I’ve ever ran, or maintained.. super damned tough too-and if they leak, you are in SERIOUS need of more practice building shocks, as if you follow the absolutely killer manual verbatim, you will have a stellar set of shocks.. Literally ANYone can be successful with these IMO.

It’s definitely not hard to rack up a gajillion dollars in Starrett stuff.. I loved my Starrett’s, as well as my Mitu’s.. I just like high quality tools, and equipment period lol..

Yes I can vouch... I Azz'ume you're speaking on the ol KMW Big Bores - Well like these ... So pissed I sold those on that truck ... sigghhhhh

Ok no more pics from me - not trying to weazel in on your build but them KMW's was wild back then and can't find hide nor hair of em no more.

 

[Littlemotor]

Ok-onto the travel limiters… These buggies have a RIDICULOUS amount of travel, and it’s not always required unless you are on freaking HELLTRACK from the movie “Rad” back in the early ‘80’s, but the ability is there. You need to be careful that you don’t over throw your suspension arms with the kit universals-or you could spit them-especially in the rear. It’s no design flaw-it’s just a tremendous amount of chassis and driveline tuning potential/ability. Tekno offers longer universals as an option part, but the kit axles are plenty capable 95% of the time.

ALL shocks are being limited 3mm uptravel, and then for DOWNtravel-3.5mm up front, and 6mm in the rear. Some will argue that droop screws are sufficient for this… I’ll let em argue. Drip screws do zero for uptravel, and crash your car the right way, and talk to me about why you spit your axles when your droop was being handled by those screws.. I’ll wait.. When your suspension arm flexes/twists, bends in a hard crash, or cartwheel, those screws do nothing. When you limit the droop mechanically within the shock, AND at the droop screws, it probably limits arm deflection by as much as 50% compared to screws alone.

Obviously downtravel limiters first..

Yes-your shock oil will work just as well here. I’ve been doing Green Slime since the 80’s, and I’m content with it. What ever keeps you from damaging your o-rings. Use orange marmalade if it works for you.

 

[Littlemotor]

Yes I can vouch... I Azz'ume you're speaking on the ol KMW Big Bores - Well like these ... So pissed I sold those on that truck ... sigghhhhh

View attachment 215633

View attachment 215634

View attachment 215635

View attachment 215636
Ok no more pics from me - not trying to weazel in on your build but them KMW's was wild back then and can't find hide nor hair of em no more.

You are dead on balls in your assumption slick! They were soooooo nice back then… He’ll I’d run them NOW if I had the right Ti chassis Tazer to toss em on… And you can share photards all ya want as long as it’s half way relevant. I ain’t worried about thread nazi’n my shiit-it’s a DISCUSSION forum after all..

 

[SoCalTazer]

Imma need to see the CMM reports on those fuel tubing limiters to make sure theyre in spec sheet tolerances - call out was +/- .0003"

 

[WickedFog]

Imma need to see the CMM reports on those fuel tubing limiters to make sure theyre in spec sheet tolerances - call out was +/- .00003"

I think he told me one time he had his Mitu's calibrated by the top members of the state and federal department of weights and measures to be "dead on balls accurate".

 

[Littlemotor]

I’d say it does the job..

Yessir-onto limiting the up-travel.

I just “thread them on”, and then slide them up the shaft.. Huh-huh… He said “shaft”..

Kit dust boots..

Obviously onto the rears..

Well sonofabitch…Keep in mind-this is WITH the downtravel already limited… Guess it’s time we see what the LHS (Littlemotor’s Hobby Shop ) has available on the parts wall..

Boom, beeeotchez!! Got them Magnum XL joints FTMFW!

 

[Littlemotor]

You sir-are absolutely numba Juan…

Helluva difference..

I don’t wanna pisss off the owner-he’s a real crotchety old prick sometimes…

Much mo gooder.

Same deal as discussed before with the camber, and steering links rod ends.. Look for the ring. Install your pivot ball through the ring side. It DOES make a difference.

Ring:

NO ring:

 

[Littlemotor]

Proper.

Annnnnnnd, in there like swimwear.. Your rod ends will thank you for this maneuver, I promise you. I didn’t believe it for a lonnnng time, but I gave it a whirl, and I was amazed.. Like I said before-I cannot remember the last time I spit one..

Team Associated adjustment collars. I can’t stand the dull plum anodized that Tekno uses.. The QUALITY is better, but they’re just gross aesthetically to me personally. I’ve been running the Associated blue collars since before Maifield started doing it. Mrs. Littlemotor actually has Cole Ogden’s collars from his HB buggy… Purple FTW..

I lube ‘em up, and then wipe the excess off so as not to attract a metric ton of dirt to my shock body threads..

 

[WickedFog]

Seriously homie?

Now I really hate you!
That's killer man!

 

[Littlemotor]

Just gonna go ahead and knock out the rest of my o-rings.. Shock caps are next, and there are no bladders, as these are getting an emulsion build..

Itty-bitty bleeder hole..

Aren’t they just adorable?

Just a wittle baybehhhh!!!

To give you a better idear-the fasteners in the foreground are M3…

Don’t be an idiot. Make sure you’re square, go backward until you feel the threads engage, then slowly turn clockwise. You will hate yourself if you cross thread your shock body…

Time for some shock ends..